San Michele Home celebrates 80 years of compassion
The event was an elegant high tea with a motivational talk about practical obedience.
The San Michele Home hosted a high tea on Friday in celebration of its 80th anniversary, and to raise funds for ongoing projects.
The programme was packed, with performances by some of the residents, a motivational speech by manager Marius Bosman, and a short presentation on the needs of the home and how those in attendance can contribute.
The hall in which the high tea was held was provided to the home for free by the property owners on Middle Road in Rand Collieries.
The table decorations, cutlery and crockery were provided by Hoërskool Die Anker. There were snack trays on each table, and coffee and tea were available.
All funds raised through ticket sales for the event went directly to the account made by various Rotary clubs that are working on raising funds towards the home’s long-awaited water purification plant.
Bosman’s speech was about practical obedience, specifically as it pertains to God’s will. He noted how throughout his life, things only went well when he remained obedient to the voice of God, even when it was difficult.
San Michele started in 1945 in Witfield, Boksburg, before relocating to Withok Estates in 1995 to a school that had been refurbished.
At first, they took in disabled children, some of whom are now adults housed by the home.
Now, unless by special request from the Gauteng Department of Health, they only take in and house adults between the ages of 18 and 55.
Their focus is on intellectually and physically disabled adults, but they also house psychiatric patients.
The residents are classified into severe/profound intellectually disabled, and psychiatric residents.
Out of 262 residents, around 85 are in the severe and profound class, and need around-the-clock care and supervision, provided by some of the 118 staff members.
Residents are engaged by various types of occupational therapy, activities and sport, and there is a clinic on the premises that is open at all hours, helping manage medication, basic first aid and health monitoring.
Some of the home’s biggest needs are funds towards the water purification plant, a new industrial washing machine for the laundry room, resurfacing of the floor in the occupational therapy room, paint for roughly 15 500 square meters, and funds for the refurbishment of the 28 bathrooms on the premises.
Sports kits for the residents that participate in sport are also welcome, along with approved supplements.
“Whatever your teen needs for sport, our residents also need,” explained matron Sonja Raman, while talking about how those in attendance can get involved.
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